Jason's Wine Blog

So with all the hoopla going on at the Wine Library forums about Gary V using a new swanky Riedel glass (probably this one) that has led Gary to drink out of an old plastic Simpsons cup from Burger King (now for auction on eBay), I thought I would do a little research on wine glasses.

Kim and I have also been shopping for stemware for our wedding registry. So I’m hoping I pick up a few tips to make sure we make a good decision. Let’s learn about wine glasses.

Does size matter? How does shape play into it? How many glasses do we need exactly?

What do I Know?
Before I hit the books, I thought I would put in writing some of the (pre)conceptions I have about wine glasses from hearsay and my own common sense.

- Narrow glasses are good for Champagne and sparkling wine because it lowers the exposed surface area of the wine, which will keep the wine from going flat too quickly. But then it usually takes me less than two minutes to down a glass of sparkling wine anyway. I like tulip-shaped glasses because they have that small surface area and yet the lip of the glass flares out and is big enough for me to drink out of without damaging my nose. We just got some nice, cheep ones from Pier 1 Imports.

- Wide glasses are good for red wine, for the opposite reason that narrow glasses are good for sparklers. There is more surface area for the wine to “breathe”. I hear breathing is good for wines, especially reds. Perhaps the topic of a future post.

- I’ve heard that you should hold chilled wines (like whites) from the stem so your hands don’t heat up the wine. Although again, I rarely have a wine glass in my hands for too long. It’s either on a table or the wine is already in my belly. I suppose glasses with easy-to-handle stems would be nice for white wines.

- Swirling a wine around in the glass helps aerate and bring out the aromas of a wine. And so I like wine glasses that are easy to swirl in. Bonus points for glasses I can fit my nose into to get a better smell. Wine glasses that are big are good, as are ones with a nice curve to them to facilitate the swirling.

Hitting the Books
Okay. I’m going to go do some research and see how my preconceived notions hold up.

The first resource I went to was the Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil, which I picked up in December. It’s a great book that has a bit to say about everything.

Karen emphasizes a few points. Some I’ve thought of before and others I hadn’t. She suggests buying wine glasses “you can afford to break”, as glasses will break often. She also points out that clear and smooth glasses, “with absolutely no facets”, should be used to show off the wine’s color. A beautifully decorated glass may look cool, but wouldn’t you rather emphasize the beauty of the wine itself? The wine glasses Kim and I picked out for our wedding registry are not perfectly smooth, although they are not as embellished as some other glasses. They just might be a good balance between beautiful glass and beautiful wine. To be sure, I am going to be taking some wine (or another red liquid) to Bed Bath and Beyond to see how it works in the glass.

Karen suggests a long flute-like glass for Champagne and sparkling wine, but not for the reasons I was thinking of. She, and many others, appreciate how a long glass accentuates the bubbles within the wine, which have further to travel in a tall glass. This is just for aesthetics, but then aesthetics are a very important part of wine drinking. If they weren’t, then we would all be content to drinking iced tea and cola or … even beer. Part of a great wine is the story behind it, the excitement of learning about a new grape or region, the feeling of participating in something that is more than just a beverage. So appreciate the bubbles.

I also consulted this page at DiWINETaste.com, which has a bit more detail about how the different shapes of glasses help one to appreciate specific varieties and types of wine. A common theme that crops up here and in other places are that wine glasses should be large enough to allow someone to swirl the wine. How much you pour into a glass also affects this (people suggest anywhere from 1/3 – 2/3). So make sure that the glass is large enough to allow you to pour a decent serving and still have room to swirl. Glasses that curve inward at the top also help you to swirl without spilling.

Another point of discussion is the size of the opening at the top of the glass. Large openings allow more air to get in and so are good for red wines, which typically taste better when they’ve breathed a bit. Smaller openings are good for white wines, which tend to have less powerful aromas then reds. The smaller opening helps to concentrate the scent into your nose. Neat.

The size and shape of the opening will also affect where the wine hits your tongue first. Glasses for sweeter wines will direct the wine towards the tip of your tongue, where the taste buds for sweetness are. Glasses for non-sweet wines will direct the wine to the back of the mouth to allow you to fully experience their fuller flavors. This would probably have little affect on my tasting, as I like to swish the wine around in my mouth to cover my entire tongue and mouth. I guess that initial impact would differ still.

Conclusion
So I’m pretty happy with the idea of buying a set of 3 glasses: one for reds, one for whites, and one for sparkling wines. Perhaps throw in a smaller glass for ports and dessert wines. I also like having at least a couple of those super huge glasses that are so much fun to drink out of, but wouldn’t buy a whole set of them for drinking with guests.

What I Think About the Gary V. Situation
So with that all said, what do I think about Gary’s new glass? I say more power to him. Let him drink from whatever he wants to. The glass is good for the show, with its hollow stem for pouring out perfect portions and design that works well with a variety of wines. Gary is drinking a lot of different wines on the show, and having an nice all-purpose glass helps out.

That said, the expensive glass doesn’t go along with the “wine is for the people” attitude he always encourages on the show. It looks a little bit like he is pimping for Riedel, but then Gary states on the forums:

LOL I only wish u guys knew my relationship with Riedel…LOL u guys are soooooo off here!

I asked Gary what this quote meant, and he told me that Riedel had once been upset with him for selling their stemware so cheaply at the Wine Library store. He said lots of wineries get upset with him for the same reason. They have an image to uphold. The tisk with Riedel is in the past, it is “squashed” as Gary says and “happened years ago”. So they are not mortal enemies, but then you couldn’t say that Gary has the interests of Riedel above the interests of his viewers.

Auctioning off the Simpsons cup is great. The money goes to a charity of the winning bidder’s choice, and Wine Library will match the highest bid. So if you were thinking of donating some money anyway (even though you missed the 2006 tax season), think about putting a bid in. Last time I check it was fetching $310. Nuts. Now I’m off to rummage through some of my old crap. I might have a John Elway football card from McDonalds I can pawn off.